Clinical and radiographic outcomes of calcium hydroxide and formocresol pulpotomies performed by dental students

Success Rates of Antibiotic Sterilization, Indirect Pulp Treatment, and Pulpotomy in the Management of Primary Teeth with Deep Carious Lesions

Background and aim

A new concept of antibiotic sterilization has come into existence which can be used to sterilize the demineralized portion of the teeth with minimal or ultraconservative excavation of caries in deep dentinal carious lesions as an alternative for indirect pulp therapy (IPT) and pulpotomy to avoid further complications. This study was undertaken to compare the success rates of antibiotic sterilization, indirect pulp treatment, and pulpotomy in the management of primary teeth with deep carious lesion.

Materials and methods

Ninety teeth involving deep carious lesions approaching pulp in primary molars were selected and randomly divided into three groups containing 30 teeth. Group I was treated with antibiotic sterilization using 3Mix-MP paste, group II was treated with indirect pulp treatment using calcium hydroxide, and group III was treated with conventional pulpotomy using 15.5% ferric sulfate (FS) solution. Clinical and radiographic analysis of all three groups was performed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to evaluate the success of treatment procedures using predetermined criteria. Pearson's Chi-squared test and McNemar test were used for statistical analysis.

Results

At the end of the 12-month follow-up period, the overall clinical and radiographic success was determined to be 96.3% for group I, 100% for group II, and 96.4% for group III. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the success of three groups, suggesting that either of the procedures can be adopted for the management of deep carious lesions approaching pulp in primary teeth.

Conclusion

Antibiotic sterilization can be introduced as a newer modality in the management of deep carious lesions approaching pulp in primary teeth which is ultraconservative in nature and reduces the risk of pulp exposure in comparison with indirect pulp treatment and pulpotomy procedures.

How to cite this article

Saxena D, Garg N, Pathivada L, et al. Success Rates of Antibiotic Sterilization, Indirect Pulp Treatment, and Pulpotomy in the Management of Primary Teeth with Deep Carious Lesions. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):237-242.

Comparative efficacy of medicaments or techniques for pulpotomy of primary molars: a network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

We performed this network meta-analysis to determine the comparative efficacy of formocresol (FC), ferric sulfate (FS), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), calcium hydroxide (CH), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), biodentine, and laser for pulpotomy of molar teeth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An updated search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before October 30, 2022, after screening previous meta-analyses. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to appraise the methodological quality of included studies. Clinical and radiographic success rates were assessed as outcomes. Random network meta-analysis was performed by using STATA software (version 14.0) with "network" command.

RESULTS

A total of 43 RCTs were included. Network meta-analysis indicated that CH was inferior to other medicaments and techniques in all outcomes, and MTA and biodentine was better than FC, FS, and NaOCl in terms of clinical and radiographic success rates. Results of ranking probabilities suggested that MTA ranked first in all outcomes except for clinical success at both 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that MTA was associated with significant improvement in both clinical and radiographic success than other pulpotomy medicaments and techniques, with the highest probability of being the optimal option.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The current network meta-analysis determined the comparative efficacy and safety of 7 common pulpotomy medicaments in molar pulpotomy, including FC, FS, NaOCl, CH, MTA, biodentine, and laser, and the pooled results revealed comparable efficacy in clinical and radiographic success rates at 6 and 12 months between FC, FS, and NaOCl in primary molars pulpotomies. However, MTA, biodentine and laser may have more advantages than other pulpotomy medicaments for clinical and radiographic success. Therefore, in clinical practice, practitioners should select MTA, biodentine, or laser as pulpotomy medicaments in molar pulpotomy.

The comparison of calcium hydroxide + biostimulation, calcium hydroxide, formocresol, and MTA pulpotomies without biostimulation in primary teeth: 12-months clinical and radiographic follow-up

This study has aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiographic success rates of calcium hydroxide pulpotomy (CH) with biostimulation (PBMT) and compare them to that of CH, formocresol (FC), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) pulpotomies without PBMT in primary molars. A total of 172 pulpotomies were performed on primary first or second mandibular molars in 94 children who were 5-8 years old. The pulpotomy procedure was performed with four different techniques. In the PBMT group, before the CH placement, 820-nm diode laser radiation was applied to each pulp-stump for 12 s (10 mW, 2.5 J/cm²). The clinical (lack of spontaneous pain, abscess or fistula, and pathological mobility) and radiographic success (lack of periapical/furcal lesions and internal/external resorption) were recorded at 6 and 12 months. The data was statistically evaluated. p value < 0.05 was considered as significant. After 12 months, the clinical and radiographic success rate (a tooth with at least one of the findings was considered unsuccessful) was 97%/92% for FC and 97%/95%, 87%/73%, and 71%/45% for MTA, CH + PBMT, and CH, respectively. There was no significant difference between the CH + PBMT and the other groups in clinical success, while a significant difference was found between CH and FC, MTA groups. In radiographic success, there was a significant difference between the CH and the other groups. No significant difference was found between the 6th- and 12th-month results in clinical success for all the groups. A decrease in success over time was seen only in the CH group for radiographic results. CH without PBMT showed the worst clinical and radiographic results among the groups. CH + PBMT showed similar clinical success compared to the MTA and FC groups. In radiographic success, CH + PBMT showed higher success compared to CH, but this success was not high as compared to MTA and FC.

Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth

BACKGROUND

In children, dental caries (tooth decay) is among the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. Pulp interventions are indicated for extensive tooth decay. Depending on the severity of the disease, three pulp treatment techniques are available: direct pulp capping, pulpotomy and pulpectomy. After treatment, the cavity is filled with a medicament. Materials commonly used include mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium hydroxide, formocresol or ferric sulphate.This is an update of a Cochrane Review published in 2014 when insufficient evidence was found to clearly identify one superior pulpotomy medicament and technique.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of different pulp treatment techniques and associated medicaments for the treatment of extensive decay in primary teeth.

SEARCH METHODS

Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 10 August 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2017, Issue 7), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 10 August 2017), Embase Ovid (1980 to 10 August 2017) and the Web of Science (1945 to 10 August 2017). OpenGrey was searched for grey literature. The US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing interventions that combined a pulp treatment technique with a medicament or device in children with extensive decay in the dental pulp of their primary teeth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed 'Risk of bias'. We contacted authors of RCTs for additional information when necessary. The primary outcomes were clinical failure and radiological failure, as defined in trials, at six, 12 and 24 months. We performed data synthesis with pair-wise meta-analyses using fixed-effect models. We assessed statistical heterogeneity by using I² coefficients.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 40 new trials bringing the total to 87 included trials (7140 randomised teeth) for this update. All were small, single-centre trials (median number of randomised teeth = 68). All trials were assessed at unclear or high risk of bias.The 87 trials examined 125 different comparisons: 75 comparisons of different medicaments or techniques for pulpotomy; 25 comparisons of different medicaments for pulpectomy; four comparisons of pulpotomy and pulpectomy; and 21 comparisons of different medicaments for direct pulp capping.The proportion of clinical failures and radiological failures was low in all trials. In many trials, there were either no clinical failures or no radiographic failures in either study arm.For pulpotomy, we assessed three comparisons as providing moderate-quality evidence. Compared with formocresol, MTA reduced both clinical and radiological failures, with a statistically significant difference at 12 months for clinical failure and at six, 12 and 24 months for radiological failure (12 trials, 740 participants). Compared with calcium hydroxide, MTA reduced both clinical and radiological failures, with statistically significant differences for clinical failure at 12 and 24 months. MTA also appeared to reduce radiological failure at six, 12 and 24 months (four trials, 150 participants) (low-quality evidence). When comparing calcium hydroxide with formocresol, there was a statistically significant difference in favour of formocresol for clinical failure at six and 12 months and radiological failure at six, 12 and 24 months (six trials (one with no failures), 332 participants).Regarding pulpectomy, we found moderate-quality evidence for two comparisons. The comparison between Metapex and zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) paste was inconclusive, with no clear evidence of a difference between the interventions for failure at 6 or 12 months (two trials, 62 participants). Similarly inconclusive, there was no clear evidence of a difference in failure between Endoflas and ZOE (outcomes measured at 6 months; two trials, 80 participants). There was low-quality evidence of a difference in failure at 12 months that suggested ZOE paste may be better than Vitapex (calcium hydroxide/iodoform) paste (two trials, 161 participants).Regarding direct pulp capping, the small number of studies undertaking the same comparison limits any interpretation. We assessed the quality of the evidence as low or very low for all comparisons. One trial appeared to favour formocresol over calcium hydroxide; however, there are safety concerns about formocresol.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth is generally successful. Many included trials had no clinical or radiological failures in either trial arm, and the overall proportion of failures was low. Any future trials in this area would require a very large sample size and follow up of a minimum of one year.The evidence suggests MTA may be the most efficacious medicament to heal the root pulp after pulpotomy of a deciduous tooth. As MTA is relatively expensive, future research could be undertaken to confirm if Biodentine, enamel matrix derivative, laser treatment or Ankaferd Blood Stopper are acceptable second choices, and whether, where none of these treatments can be used, application of sodium hypochlorite is the safest option. Formocresol, though effective, has known concerns about toxicity.Regarding pulpectomy, there is no conclusive evidence that one medicament or technique is superior to another, and so the choice of medicament remains at the clinician's discretion. Research could be undertaken to confirm if ZOE paste is more effective than Vitapex and to evaluate other alternatives.Regarding direct pulp capping, the small number of studies and low quality of the evidence limited interpretation. Formocresol may be more successful than calcium hydroxide; however, given its toxicity, any future research should focus on alternatives.

Carious Exposure versus Mechanical Exposure for MTA Pulpotomy in Primary Teeth

Introduction. The etiology of exposure determines pulpal response, making it crucial to distinguish between mechanical and carious exposure. This study clinically and radiographically evaluated the success of MTA pulpotomies conducted to treat carious and mechanical pulp exposure. Materials and Methods. This study was conducted with 50 mandibular primary molar teeth. Teeth were divided into 2 groups according to status of the exposure site, with teeth surrounded by carious dentin placed in a carious exposure group and those surrounded by sound dentin in a mechanical exposure group. MTA pulpotomies were performed for both groups. Treatment was followed up clinically and radiographically for 18 months. Results. Clinical and radiographic success rates at 18 months were 100% for both groups. Success rates did not vary significantly between the groups (p = 1.000). Pulp canal obliteration was only seen in the carious exposure group, observed in 2 teeth (8.3%). Conclusion. The long term success rates achieved in this study indicate that MTA can be used as a vital pulpotomy material for the long term success in primary teeth with either mechanical or carious exposure. The findings of the present study highlight the fact that treatment prognosis is dependent upon diagnosis and selection of the appropriate materials for treatment.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of the use of Low-Level Laser Therapy in vital pulp of primary teeth

AIM

This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiographic effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy in vital pulp of human primary teeth.

METHODS

Sixty mandibular primary molars of children aged between 5-9 years were assigned into four groups: Diluted Formocresol (FC), Calcium Hydroxide (CH), Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and Calcium Hydroxide preceded by Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT + CH). The clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 6, 12 and 18 post-operative months.

RESULTS

All the groups studied were successful in the clinical evaluation over the follow-up period. At 6 months, the radiographic success rate for FC group was 100%, 60% for CH group, 80% for LLLT group and 85.7% for LLLT + CH group. After 12 months, the radiographic success rate was 100% for FC group, 50% for CH group, 80% for LLLT group and 78.6% for LLLT + CH group. At the 18 months follow-up, 100% of the FC group, 66.7% of CH group, 73.3% of the LLLT group and 75% of the LLLT + CH group.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that Low Level Laser Therapy may be considered as an adjuvant alternative for vital pulp therapy on human primary teeth. Low Level Laser Therapy preceding the use of calcium hydroxide showed satisfactory results.

Immunolocalization of dentin matrix protein-1 in human primary teeth treated with different pulp capping materials

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunolocalization of dentin matrix protein (DMP)-1 in human primary teeth treated with different pulp capping materials. Twenty-five primary molars were divided into the following groups: formocresol (FC), calcium hydroxide (CH), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), corticosteroid/antibiotic solution + CH (O + CH), and Portland cement (PC), and all received conventional pulpotomy treatment. The teeth at the regular exfoliation period were extracted for histological analysis and immunolocalization of DMP-1. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ(2) test (p < 0.05). Histological analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the comparison among the groups through the use of a score system regarding the presence of hard tissue barrier, odontoblastic layer, and internal resorption, but not regarding pulp calcification. Immunohistochemical analysis showed immunostaining for DMP-1 in groups CH, MTA, O + CH, and PC. Internal resorption was observed in the groups FC and CH. MTA and PC showed pulp repair without inflammation and with the presence of hard tissue barrier. DMP-1 immunostaining was higher for MTA and PC, confirming the reparative and bioinductive capacity of these materials.

Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth

BACKGROUND

In children, dental caries is among the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. Pulp interventions are indicated for extensive tooth decay. Depending on the severity of the disease, three pulp treatment techniques are available: direct pulp capping, pulpotomy and pulpectomy. After treatment, the cavity is filled with a medicament.This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2003. The previous review found insufficient evidence regarding the relative efficacy of these interventions, combining one pulp treatment technique and one medicament.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of different pulp treatment techniques and associated medicaments for the treatment of extensive decay in primary teeth.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 25 October 2013), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 9), MEDLINE via OVID (1946 to 25 October 2013), EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 25 October 2013) and the Web of Science (1945 to 25 October 2013). We searched OpenGrey for grey literature and the US National Institutes of Health Trials Register and the World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Trials Registry Platform for ongoing trials. We placed no restrictions on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials comparing different pulp interventions combining a pulp treatment technique and a medicament in children with extensive decay involving dental pulp in primary teeth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently carried out data extraction and risk of bias assessment in duplicate. We contacted authors of randomised controlled trials for additional information if necessary. The primary outcomes were clinical failure and radiological failure, as defined in trials, at six, 12 and 24 months. We performed data synthesis with pairwise meta-analyses using fixed-effect models. We assessed statistical heterogeneity using by I(2) coefficients.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 47 trials (3910 randomised teeth) compared to three trials in the previous version of the review published in 2003. All trials were single centre and small sized (median number of randomised teeth 68). Overall, the risk of bias was low in only one trial with all other trials being at unclear or high risk of bias. The overall quality of the evidence was low. The 47 trials examined 53 different comparisons: 25 comparisons between different medicaments/techniques for pulpotomy, 13 comparisons between different medicaments for pulpectomy, 13 comparisons between different medicaments for direct pulp capping and two comparisons between pulpotomy and pulpectomy. Regarding pulpotomy, 14 trials compared mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) with formocresol (FC). MTA reduced both clinical and radiological failures at six, 12 and 24 months, although the difference was not statistically significant. MTA also showed favourable results for all secondary outcomes measured, although again, differences between MTA and FC were not statistically significant (with the exception of pathological root resorption at 24 months and dentine bridge formation at six months). MTA showed favourable results compared with calcium hydroxide (CH) (two trials) for all outcomes measured, but the differences were not statistically significant (with the exception of radiological failure at 12 months). When comparing MTA with ferric sulphate (FS) (three trials), MTA had statistically significantly fewer clinical, radiological and overall failures at 24 months. This difference was not shown at six or 12 months.FC was compared with CH in seven trials and with FS in seven trials. There was a statistically significant difference in favour of FC for clinical failure at six and 12 months, and radiological failure at six, 12 and 24 months. FC also showed favourable results for all secondary outcomes measured, although differences between FC and CH were not consistently statistically significant across time points. The comparisons between FC and FS showed no statistically significantly difference between the two medicaments for any outcome at any time point.For all other comparisons of medicaments used during pulpotomies, pulpectomies or direct pulp capping, the small numbers of studies and the inconsistency in results limits any interpretation.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found no evidence to identify one superior pulpotomy medicament and technique clearly. Two medicaments may be preferable: MTA or FS. The cost of MTA may preclude its clinical use and therefore FS could be used in such situations. Regarding other comparisons for pulpectomies or direct pulp capping, the small numbers of studies undertaking the same comparison limits any interpretation.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of the use of four dressing materials in pulpotomized primary molars: a randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Although multiple materials have been suggested for pulpotomized primary molars, there is no reliable evidence of the superiority of one particular type.

AIM

To compare the effectiveness of formocresol (FC), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), ferric sulphate, and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as pulp dressing agents in primary molars after 2 years.

DESIGN

One hundred primary molars requiring pulp treatment were allocated randomly to the control (FC) and experimental groups (MTA, ferric sulphate, and NaOCl). Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Statistical analysis using Fischer's exact test was performed to determine the significant differences between groups.

RESULTS

In the FC and MTA groups, 100% of the available teeth were clinically successful at all follow-up appointments. In the NaOCl group, one clinical failure was found at 18 months, and two clinical failures in the ferric sulphate group were noted at 12 and 24 months, but no significant differences were found among the groups (P = 0.41). No significant differences in radiographic success were found among all the groups at 24 months of follow-up (P = 0.303).

CONCLUSIONS

No statistically significant differences among the four materials were found at 24 months suggesting that NaOCl may be an appropriate substitute for FC.